Smits Farms Herbs

Nothing beats turning a great recipe into a suburb recipe with the addition of some fresh herbs.  One of the staples at the Thursday Daley Plaza Farmers Market is Smits Farms.  I have been buying herbs from them for the past three years.  No other stand sells so many ready to use herbs.  Smits gets major props for conveniently labeling all their herbs, which is always tempting me to try something new.  They also sell a large variety of herbs in pots, ready to find new homes in your garden.

One my most recent visit to their stand, I spoke with Kayla from Smits Farms.  Their farmer's market stand is filled with a great variety of herbs, flowers, and later in the season, a lot of vegetables, like corn and tomatoes.  The farm has been family run for around twenty years and is located in Chicago Heights.

 Her favorite herb is basil.  "I really like pesto - later we will have a ton of basil.  It's super good," she says.

One of the biggest misconceptions about herbs is that people think they are never going to use it.  That's not the case - you can always use it for something, Kayla told me.  Her three favorites herbs are bail, cilantro and dill.

"Come and smell them.  They smell pretty good," Kayla says, inviting everyone to check out their delicious herbs.  Their prices are great - some of the lowest prices around for fresh herbs.  With only a few dollars, you can easily enhance the flavor in any dish.

Daley Plaza not your scene?  Don't worry - Smits Farms is part of nine Farmers Markets in Chicago in 2012!

What are your top three herbs?  Mine are basil, tarragon and flat parsley.